Housing

Virginians facing economic hardship due to the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, have new protections against losing their homes. But housing advocates are working to make sure this applies to all renters for the duration of this pandemic.

In Chesterfield County, construction is set to begin for over 300 condominiums. It’s the first major project to be approved after the region’s Midlothian Special Area Plan was adopted, which calls for mixed use development, something residents say this structure lacks.

As of Friday, 30 Virginians have tested positive for COVID-19, the coronavirus disease. Richmond housing advocates are responding to the pandemic by asking the city to pause all eviction proceedings until further notice.

Richmond’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund could receive more than $5 million this year.

Federal Housing officials were in Richmond Wednesday to announce new funding for Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The funding is aimed at providing public housing residents with more access to job training, health and education services.

Mayor Levar Stoney launched the Eviction Diversion Program last year after a New York Times article highlighted Richmond as number two in the nation for evictions.

Currently, state law doesn’t have a minimum time requirement on housing agencies to notify its residents of such plans. But on Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law legislation that requires housing agencies to give residents 12 months notice before demolishing any properties.

Studies show housing choice vouchers contribute to areas of concentrated poverty, because so few landlords accept them.

This year, the General Assembly will repeal more than a dozen 20th century policies that enforced racial segregation in the state and helped perpetuate discrimination in housing, education, voting and other areas of public life.

There are about 600 mobile home parks in Virginia. While they offer affordable homeownership, advocates say it comes with a cost: uninhabitable park conditions, and a high risk of displacement.